


Opscurum

by Whovianus



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Fix-It, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-28
Updated: 2016-12-07
Packaged: 2018-09-02 20:29:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8682313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whovianus/pseuds/Whovianus
Summary: There was a ghost on his doorstep.  And he all but collapsed into Newt’s arms.  *After the events of New York, Credence slips away with the last of his power. He is forced to stay in Obscurus form while he heals, but that leaves him very weak and hurt. He reveals himself to Newt finally in London, six months later.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this basically in the car on the way back from the movie, so sorry about length and if there are any problems!

Six months had passed since Newt had slipped onto the boat and away from New York and Tina. He was still working on his book, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, all while taking care of his creatures in a shabby old flat in London. Newt didn’t need much out of his flat, usually choosing to spend more time in his home in the trunk, all he needed were some basic appliances and somewhere to sit and write when he needed time away from his creatures. The book was almost ready to be published and only needed some final touches before it was ready to be taken to a publisher, and surprisingly it was the final edits that were taking much longer than writing the book itself. It was easy for Newt to babble off about his beloved creatures, it was hard for him to refine said babbling into an understandable guide for the everyday witch or wizard.

Newt was outside of the trunk for the first time in two days now, tending to Pickett during another fit of cold. He absentmindedly sketched with his free hand, drawing a cloud of greys and reds, something he would come to realise was Credence's obscurus form as it ripped through New York.

Pickett had only just settled into the curve of his neck when the two knocks sounded through the silence of the tiny flat, making Newt snap out of his daze. Pickett chirruped on his shoulder and slipped into his pocket, having been startled by the knocks. Newt hadn’t stood to open the door yet however, just staring at it with furrowed brows. No one ever came to visit him here and last he had checked it was three hours past midnight. He gave a flick of his wand as he finally went to stand, letting the candle float gently to sit on the table in case it was a muggle behind the door.

Newt slowly walked over to the door, hushing Pickett as he went. He had been admittedly slightly paranoid after the events of New York, after battling with Grindelwald and the impromptu torture session the man had inflicted upon him. But he pushed that aside, chuckling quietly. It was probably nothing, maybe even a next door neighbour coming to check on him. He had been holed up for two days anyway…  
All the quiet thoughts slipped his mind when Newt finally opened the door and saw him, standing on his doorstep. White as a ghost, swaying on his feet, a dead man.

Newt barely had time to register what was happening when the boy's knees gave out under him and Newt had sprung forward to catch him, sending them both to the ground but with Credence cradled safely in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updating in a jiffy!  
> I haven't published a fic that I could finish in a long time. I had some really bad issues with writers and motivational block so I'd really appreciate comments and kudos! But definitely comments, tell me what you think, lovlies. Thanks! 
> 
> xx  
> Ivy


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!

Newt wasn’t surprised by how easy it was to pick Credence up. He looked truly starved, his eyes sunken in and his skin pale. In a way, he reminded Newt of the victims of the Obscurus and their ashen faces when they fell, lifeless. Then he had to stop, looking down at the boy in his arms. Credence was a victim of the Obscurus, he’d lost as much as Senator Shaw had when the Obscurus attacked. In a way, Credence had lost his life in the swirling mass of power that was inside him.

He heaved a sigh and went to gently lay the boy down on the rickety old bed in the corner of the flat, trying to not think too hard about how innocent yet tired Credence looked in his sleep. Newt had a few theories about how the boy could have possibly survived being hit with countless different spells, all by powerful aurors. If his body could survive such a powerful Obscurus outburst, then the Obscurus quite possibly protected him against the spells too. As for the explanation for why he was currently unconscious and running cold sweat and fever, Newt would have to look into that. He knew that he had the possible cures for Credence's ailments in his trunk, but he hesitated at the idea of taking Credence inside. He trusted the boy, of course, he just didn't trust the Obscurus. Just the idea of the Obscurus setting loose with his creatures brought a deep pain inside Newt. So instead he did the next best thing: placing a charm on the boy that would tell Newt if he woke up so that he could climb into his trunk and begin preparing the medicine. Newt was sure the Obscurus would take its role in healing Credence’s body, but there was nothing wrong with trying to help it along.  
Newt just wasn’t sure how.

See, Newt could take care of his creatures. Pickett, for example, just needed plenty of body warmth and some elixir if it got too bad. Newt could take care of his creatures, from Nifflers to his Nundu whose breath alone was toxic enough to kill hundreds. But when it came to a young boy who was hurt and unconscious on his bed, Newt had no idea what to do. He wasn’t very good at people, so much was obvious, it was why he stuck to his creatures. But now he had no choice because for some reason Credence had chosen to come to him right before he lost consciousness.  
Newt must have taken too much time in his case because just in the middle of a simple pepper-up potion, his wand startled him with a sudden series of screeches. Credence was awake. Newt scrambled over himself to get up the stairs, pepper-up forgotten on his counter. Pickett had a few choice words for his sudden movements, but he ignored them, clambering out of the trunk with slightly wide eyes. Credence had already sat up, eyes cautiously watching Newt as he stepped out of the trunk. There was a slight furrow between his eyebrows when he glanced at the trunk itself. Newt couldn’t bring himself to talk. 

There he stood with the two bowls of medicine in hand, just staring. The last time he’d seen Credence, the boy had allowed him to move closer to him after being told about the Sudanese girl. But then Grindelwald had stepped in and it had been ruined. It hadn’t taken much longer after that for Credence to lash out again, starting a chase between his power and Newt’s life. But that wasn’t why Newt found himself unable to speak. He had watched what he thought was the boy’s death, unable to do anything. He had tried, he had tried so bloody hard, but it had been to no avail. And his horror to realise who Graves really was had nothing to do with who Grindelwald was, but the idea that Credence had put so much trust in a man who just wanted to weaponize him and use him. 

It was finally the quickly manifesting unease in Credence’s body that pushed Newt into actions, taking a small step forward.  
“Credence, do you remember me?” 

When the boy nodded, Newt dared to get closer, going to cautiously sit on the bed next to him. He placed the bowls down in between them to create a barrier that would hopefully ease Credence’s fear. Credence had now pulled his knees to his chest, arms wrapped around bony legs. His shoulders were bowed, the posture all too familiar to Newt as submissiveness and distress. 

“I’m not going to hurt you, Credence. I promise.” When there was silence Newt continued, slowly nudging over a bowl of swirling blue liquid. “It looks quite strange I’m sure, but this will help break your fever. And this,” he nudged over the other bowl of sweet smelling potion, “this is to get your strength back. I would tell you exactly what is in them but… I doubt you would know what things such as fire seeds are. I just need you to trust that they will not do anything other than help you.” 

Newt guessed it was the smell of the second potion that drew Credence to it and soon, thin, shaking hands reached out for it. He stayed silent while Credence slowly brought it to his lips and took a sip. Newt just watched as Credence slowly drank both potions, a smile playing on his lips all along at the trust Credence was putting in him. This was good, much better than he imagined. He wasn’t very surprised about it having, having seen Credence’s eyes when he first woke up. There was a particular fight behind the swirling fear and vigilance. Credence wanted something, was almost desperate for it, and Newt had no idea what it was. All that he knew was that it had placed a drive in Credence’s eyes that Newt had only seen when Credence was set on destroying Graves. 

Newt took the empty bowls when Credence had finished and set them aside, attention immediately drawn back to the impossible boy. 

“Now, Credence… What can I do for you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, lovelies. I was going to post the second chapter yesterday but I accidentally deleted my entire process and was admittedly too disheartened to start it again yesterday. 
> 
> But alas! It's up now. I really hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Once again, if you guys have any comments or suggestions I'd love to hear them. You were all so sweet yesterday, so thank you so much! 
> 
> xx
> 
> Ivy


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up having to write most of this on a library computer that wanted very desperately for every "obscurus" to be turned to "obscures" and so on. So if there are any issues that I didn't notice please feel free to pop off a comment and tell me!

“Now, Credence… What can I do for you?”

There was a beat of silence, only filled with soft murmurs from Newt’s pocket where Pickett slept. They caught Credence’s attention who was suddenly staring intently at the source of the sound as though trying to figure out what it could possibly be from. Newt tried to ignore how he had yet to hear anything from Credence. In fact, Newt couldn’t remember the boy speaking to him at all. But he didn’t want to push Credence into speaking; he wanted to wait until the boy was naturally ready to talk to him.

Instead, he reached into his pocket and found Pickett, making a mental note to give him a treat later to make up for how he was using him right now. They had only just gotten back on proper terms after he had traded him for information. Now, the Bowtruckle slowly rose from its slumber and stretched only to let out a series of sneezes that made Newt cringe. He knew he had done the right thing, however, because almost immediately all of Credence’s attention was on the little creature in his hand and he had pulled out of the fetal position he had taken against the wall.

“This is Pickett. He’s a Bowtruckle. They are quite peaceful. Pickett here, however, is… Unique. He has some attachment issues, refuses to go anywhere near his Branch. And so… Well, I guess he stays with me.” Pickett was already getting a sense of his surroundings and his eyes immediately fell on Credence. He glanced back between Newt and Credence a few times, possibly remembering who Credence was and what he could do. When he began to get uneasy, Newt cleared his throat and quickly placed him on his lap where he scurried to curl up into his night robe.

 

Newt sat there for a few more moments before he finally accepted that Credence wasn’t going to talk. Not yet. Newt should have contained his sigh, but it sounded from his lips before he could stop it. He didn’t notice Credence’s flinch at the noise and how he retreated again as Newt stood to clear up the bowls and take them into his trunk. Newt was just about to step into the trunk when Credence’s raspy voice sounded behind him, rooting him to the spot.

“I want you to fix me.”

Newt slowly turned to Credence, bowls in hand with a Bowtruckle slowly climbing up his robe and back into his pocket. “Fix you?”

He was taken aback by the look of desperation in Credence’s eyes, how he had unraveled from his ball and had pushed himself to the edge of the bed in a feat of courage. At least the potions seemed to be working, bringing a bit of colour back to Credence’s cheeks. The cold sweat seemed to have stopped as well, which was a relief. Newt wasn’t very sure about his potion making skills. Spells were easy to pick up, as were Herbology and transfigurations, but Newt still struggled with some potions. He could create his own mixtures for medicinal purposes, but there were some things that one could only pick up in a Hogwarts classroom.

The question was useless because Newt knew what Credence meant by what he said. He wanted the obscurus out; he wanted to be normal and maybe even have his magic back. The idea of it was delightful and beyond sweet But Newt was reminded of the Sudanese girl, how the last of her soul remained in a cold room in his trunk. As far as Newt knew, there were no quick fixes to this. Taking the obscurus out would mean Credence’s death. The host couldn’t live without the obscurus in them. Newt was often reminded of Dementors when he looked at the obscurus, how taking it out had sucked the soul out of the Sudanese girl and left her a mere shell of death.

“I… I can’t do that for you, Credence.” He was surprised at the pain in his voice when he spoke. He couldn’t look up at Credence, could only stare off into the distance at a ripple in the blanket. Newt always had a problem with looking others in the eyes, especially in moments of anxiety or emotions. In a way, it was painful for Newt to look. They said that eyes were windows to the soul and Newt understood why, he could see every emotion and every disappointment in the eyes of everyone he talked to. After a while Newt just… Stopped.

 

Now, he didn’t want to see more disappointment in Credence’s eyes; he was sure it was there. The little nervous twitches were back, his fingers twitching more and more as his anxiety grew larger. He had noticed that the twitches had gotten worse ever since Grindelwald, as though the electric spells he had set onto Newt had become a part of his body and sunk deep into his bones.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Credence had started shaking, but he wasn’t backing down yet. “But you… You told me about the girl. You tried to help her. She was like me, wasn’t she?” Newt was already shaking his head with a small bitter smile. Credence didn’t understand the pain she had felt and what had happened to her, how the obscurus had torn out from inside her. Newt had felt her fear, her anger, and pain. He would never let that happen to anyone else.

 

Newt knew what he had to do. It was the only way to prove to Credence the truth in a way he would believe and understand, despite the idea of it being utterly terrifying were something to go wrong. He would have to take Credence into the trunk, with his animals, to show him the only other obscurus Newt had ever met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies! I was supposed to post every day for the first week, but then my darling laptop went and shattered its screen (in other words, I dropped it while writing this very chapter). Now let me tell you, you don't know true boredom until you break your phone and your laptop at the same time. 
> 
> I'm a little clumsy and the phone story is actually heart-wrenching (for me). 
> 
> Please leave a comment, you guys have been absolute dolls. I'll admit that I keep refreshing the story and every time there's a new comment I absolutely melt inside. I do have my laptop back so the week of continuous updates is coming!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I having been listening to this beautiful 8tracks album while writing this. It's called "let 'em hit 'till they break their hands // credence barebone" and if that title isn't the most beautiful thing I have ever read.... 
> 
> Also I write these every day in my Psychology class, pretending I'm taking notes or doing work and not writing fan fiction between two pure buns.

Credence had seen Newt step out of his suitcase, something that was, to the world of Muggles, impossible. Credence had seen many impossible things, however. He himself was impossible. Newt expected that he would understand at least the theory of magic behind enlarging the suitcase to house magical creatures. If Jacob didn’t lose his mind at the sight, then Credence would surely be more accepting. There did come the matter of the Obscurus however and the danger of it setting loose. Newt’s suitcase housed many frankly adorable creatures, but he also had some rather dangerous ones. Newt refused to think of them as dangerous because they weren’t, not if treated right and in a safe environment. But there was no telling how they could react to Credence. 

Newt could feel the power that radiated off Credence now. He wasn’t a particularly sensitive wizard, but it was prominent. It wasn’t there when Newt had first seen the boy on the steps of the bank alongside his mother. Admittedly, Newt had barely even seen Credence then. He had looked at him, yes, but he had looked through him. It was hard to ignore Credence now. Power rolled off of him in waves with every emotion, an invisible source that left a certain tension in the room. Newt knew it was only there because Credence was upset, but this had only manifested after the final outburst. The Obscurus was unstable, it seemed, and that was dangerous. 

“Please don’t be afraid, Credence. You know that I won’t hurt you.” Newt dared a few steps closer, finally looking up at the boy and keeping his movements slow. He was reminded of when he approached the Occamy, a small, defensive creature that was given too much power in too short of time. “I want to share something with you, Credence, something that I think could help. But it is a very… Very sensitive situation, something I can’t show you until you’re calmer. I know that you are, and perhaps even upset with me, but I need you to calm down. Can you please do that for me?” 

Newt knew Credence had no control over the emotions, but all he needed was just that idea in his mind that Newt needed him not to lose control. That seemed to be enough however because Credence was soon giving a curt nod and his power had retreated, just a little but enough for Newt to feel much safer about things. 

“Wonderful, then. Please follow me.” Newt jumped into action and quickly turned to his suitcase, only glancing back at Credence to make sure he hadn’t completely retreated before he began descending the steps. This was fantastic timing; it was almost feeding time for the creatures. Credence could even help if he felt comfortable enough with it. It would be a nice way to get his mind off things, perhaps even get more life into him. There was only so much potions could do, and Credence still looked horribly weak. 

It took time, as Newt thought it would, for Credence to even come by the suitcase. By then Newt had already started getting the food ready, cutting through raw meat. He could hear Credence as he slowly came down the steps, could tell that he was cautious, especially as he looked around the cramped space of what was best described as Newt’s kitchen. 

“There is something you should probably know before we leave this room, Credence.” Newt finally finished cutting through the raw meat and turned to the boy with an unsure smile. “I am writing a book, you see. A guide to magical creatures. Witches and Wizards don’t understand these creatures, and people are afraid of what they don’t understand. So I… Help them understand. Out of that door, you will meet some of these creatures, but you don’t need worry, I actually think they’ll like you.” 

Newt was already making a list of the ones he didn’t exactly want Credence to interact with. He didn’t want to spook him suddenly. Newt had taken a particular joy in scaring Jacob but he didn’t that would go well with Credence. Or he was just thinking too much and underestimating Credence’s strength. Newt had a feeling it was the latter, but he just wanted to be safe rather than sorry as the saying went.   
Newt had learned not to expect many answers from Credence, so he only held out a bucket of Mooncalf feed to him. They would be out tonight with the full moon, and Newt had noticed how much Jacob had enjoyed interacting with them. They were sweet little creatures. Credence took the bucket finally, peeking inside at the magical beans. Newt took the meat himself and then entered the world of his creatures.

Credence’s face when he followed was all that Newt needed, the amazement in the boy’s eyes lit him up completely and all fear Newt had left him. Credence would do beautifully. “Let’s get the simplest out of the way first, hm?” Newt waited until Credence fell in step with him to continue. The Ocammy were the closest to them and one of the most beautiful, so he led Credence to them, walking slower than usual to let Credence look around. Newt was acutely aware of how quickly he always walked, born of his inability ever to stand still or do nothing. He was always in such hurry to get from one place to the next, but Credence needed time to come to terms with the world around him.

"You're taking wonderfully to this, Credence, I am quite glad. Now come on here." Newt stopped by the nest of the Occamy, glancing up at the Demiguise perch only to find he had gone invisible again. Of course. 

"These are Occamys; I actually managed to set this one loose in New York in a Macy's six months ago." Newt smiled at Credence sheepishly and quickly fed them so that he could reach in and cradle one in his hands. He motioned for Credence to place down the bucket and held out the creature for him to hold. At first, Credence made no move to, even if Newt could see the want in his eyes, but then scarred palms had reached out to take the serpent-like creature from Newt. "Now, don't pet him, please. Their eggs are made of pure silver, and that makes them quite defensive. One thing I should mention too is that they are choranaptyxic, they shrink to fit in small spaces. Or enlarge to fit in large spaces. Macy's is quite large, no? I'm sure you can imagine what happened." It seemed that Credence did just that because suddenly there was a pull of a smile at the corner of his lips. Most of his attention was focused on the Occamy in his hand who seemed to be more than happy where it sat, turning in Credence's hand to settle in. 

"You like animals, don't you?" Credence's attention snapped up to Newt at the question and then he nodded, looking back down at the creature in his hands. 

"I wanted a pet when I was younger. I brought home a cat and... Ma wasn't pleased. Said it was a witch's pet." Newt was sure he knew what Credence meant by his mother not being pleased. But this was good; it was the first real question Credence had answered. Perhaps bringing Credence down here really was the right thing to do. 

“Your mother wasn’t wrong, technically,” murmured Newt as he slowly put the Occamy back with the others before it could get uncomfortable, “there is a magical school I went to, Hogwarts, and we were allowed three pets; cats, owls or toads. Cat are a witch’s pet, but what your mother was wrong about was thinking that all wizards and witches are bad.” Credence had met a very bad wizard, and Newt’s words were meant as more of a message to him than his mother. He had just had rotten luck in meeting his first proper wizard; Newt still ached at the thought of how much power such a dark wizard as Grindelwald had had over the vulnerable Credence. He wished he had seen it sooner, had been able to save the boy from all the pain somehow. 

“But never mind that.” The silence was stretching on for too long, long enough for Newt to see that Credence was slowly falling into a memory, entering into dangerous territory. He snapped Credence out of it quickly, especially when the Demiguise appeared at the sudden tension in the air. Newt took it as a fair warning then.

“Are you easily frightened, Credence?” That just earned Newt a look that answered well enough on its own. Newt didn't think so either, but it was always nice to ask. It even gave Credence a fair warning of what could come with the next creatures, his Graphorns. "You see, we Wizards, just like you, have a bit of an extinction problem. Beasts are used for their magical properties, often with no thought to the creature itself. I managed to salvage a pair of Graphorns, tough creatures they are, tougher than even dragons." Newt winked at Credence and chuckled at the boy's expression when dragons were mentioned. There was so much he had to learn. 

Newt's ramblings had provided a bit of background noise on their short walk to where the Graphorns stayed, and once there Newt took a handful of raw meat. He usually didn't hesitate in the Graphorn calls, but now a light dusting of red covered his cheeks as he made them. They visibly startled Credence but not as much as the sound of hooves did. Credence took a quick step back as the Graphorn female and cub appeared and Newt ignored the light tug on his dressing gown that must have come from Credence gripping on it. He was smiling, however, with a bit of warmth in his chest that he couldn't explain. 

"Don't worry, Credence... It's alright." He pressed the bucket of meat into Credence's hand for him to take a piece, and then fed the female. The male Graphorn had leisurely stepped up to them by now to feed as well. "They're very sweet, Credence, don't worry. Especially the cub. Can you feed him, please?" When Credence went to finally feed the cub, Newt had to slowly stroke the female to keep her calm. Credence was a stranger after all, but the cub quickly warmed up to him enough to start trotting around them. 

From there Newt began making his usual rounds, filling bowls and checking on his creatures. Credence followed behind quietly, sometimes asking a small question about a particular creature or reaching out for a golden butterfly that had just narrowly escaped from the Niffler's clutches. Newt had a specific goal set in mind other than the Obscurus, his Mooncalves. 

When they reached their area, Newt stopped short but still guided Credence in front of him. The Mooncalves had already heard that he was there it seemed because they had started to pop out one by one. "Go on, it's alright." Newt gently pushed Credence towards them, smiling reassuringly at him when he glanced back. The Mooncalves were shy little things, but they were urged forward by hunger and the magical seeds Credence had in his bucket. The boy took cautious steps up the rocky path that led to the creatures and soon he was surrounded by them, doing their intricate little dances in excitement. 

It took a few long seconds for Credence to reach into the bucket and Newt was waiting for him to do so, just to see how his eyes widened when the seeds floated instead of falling to the ground. A smile immediately took over Credence's features too, almost knocking the breath out of Newt. He'd seen little glimpses of smiles at the corners of Credence's lips, but this was different. It was a smile that illuminated his entire face, and soon it had resulted in small laughter whenever a Mooncalf made a strange noise and ate a floating seed. Newt knew this wouldn't be permanent, that it was just an outburst of joy, but he didn't let that stop him from enjoying the sight. And when Credence looked up at Newt, he couldn't help but return the boy's grin.

At that moment it didn't matter what they would have to do next or the pain that would surely come when Credence saw the Obscurus that was once part of a child. All that mattered was that for the first time in maybe years, Credence looked genuinely happy, and Newt had in some way been responsible for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, lovelies!   
> Also this was a monster of a chapter to write and I had it as one part before but I decided to cut it in two. Or else we would have a five thousand word chapter.
> 
> xx 
> 
> Ivy

**Author's Note:**

> Updating in a jiffy!
> 
> I've been going through a bit of writer's block these past three years, this is basically the fic that's bringing me back on my feet. I haven't written in a long time though so if you see any issues/have any advice please don't hesitate to comment.
> 
> Actually, please don't hesitate to comment at all. I love hearing from you guys! 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed. 
> 
> xx
> 
> Ivy


End file.
